Dobbies Garden Centre Restaurant in St Edmundsbury

Nice enough staff. Clearly short staffed. Limited choice, slow service, tables not cleared. Food was good. Will not return.

The good point nice cup of tea. The famous scones are over cooked and very dry must be famously dry. They seam to be frozen then reheated avoid them. Do dunk in your tea as you will not have any tea left. Restaurant is a soulless.

What a shame. My wife and I visited Dobbies to buy some simple garden materials. We filled our trolly having looked at the prices and deals available. However after going through the checkout noticed we had been overcharged, for example £89.00 instead of £34.00 for grass seed as well as other items all of course in Dobbies favour making our bill £68.00 more expensive. We showed the manager the prices on the shop floor he refused to honour them. We asked for a refund that took him 15 minutes We are not going back

This was always a good place for lunch but the last 3 visits have been very poor service there seems to be a staff shortage we had to wait over 30 minutes to order the poor girl was on here own making hot drinks aswell as taking orders for food we left please dobbies get it right

I normally look at TripAdvisor when I'm going to new places but I thought a Coffee Shop in Dobbies BSE would be a safe bet..... Very average in every way but we waited ages to get drinks some poor girl on her own....I timed the Q and from start to getting a coffee was 29 minutes !!! Won't ever go again but couldn't believe how busy it was,maybe all first time customers.

The cafe just gets worse by the day. Tables not cleared, sofas filthy, no hot milk available for well over a month. Such slow service (not enough staff) that if you queue for breakfast then by the time you are served breakfast has finished but it is too early to order lunch. The female toilets have also been out of order for weeks! As a club member I visit Dobbies wherever I go and Bury St Edmunds is by far the worst.

Dirty and poor slow service - no hot drinks available as machine broken - only found out from a small sign near the till after queuing for ages. Whole place is a dump with toilets out of order and broken/flowing/faulty. Was better just after Christmas but gone further down hill.

What a fiasco. Went into the cafe, all the tables were cluttered with dishes, there were no trays, they were still all on tables massive queues and 2 very slow people serving, the hot milk machine wasn't working so no cappuccino, latte etc so had 2 normal coffees but only had enough milk for one cup, then spent 15 mins in another queue to pay for a plant and we were only the 2nd in the queue. Never again.

Popped in for a drink and was going to have lunch..tables were piled High with dirty plates cups and cutlery. People moving dirty plates onto other tables so they had somewhere clean to sit..one poor girl doing drinks people waiting ages for drinks ..what a shambles 😫

Really disappointing. Have been visiting this Dobbies for a couple of years and have accepted by now the service at the restaurant till is glacially slow and the staff often appear clueless and uninterested. My friend and I have been visiting the children’s soft play area for the past few weeks and have been shocked at the treatment from the restaurant staff. Despite the website clearly advertising the soft play is open until 4.45pm they’ve taken it upon themselves to close it an hour early every day. At 3.45 yesterday a member of the restaurant team opened the door to the soft play room, barked “we’re closing now” through the door and slammed it shut again. The whole room was stunned with how rude she was and this is one of several weeks in a row we’ve experienced this. Having children doesn’t make you a pariah! If you are going to supply a children’s play area either fully support this or find somewhere else to work. We pay good money like everyone else to be in that restaurant and I don’t expect the attitude that the restaurant staff are doing me a favour letting me be there. There seems to be a culture in their staff developing lately that they can be as rude as they like to parents as we don’t count for some some reason. As with all the other reviews on this site, I would strongly suggest a review of overall management and a retraining of the restaurant team. Nice place ruined by poor running.

Unfortunately I have to agree with the other comments, dobbies cafe has in fact gone completely down hill, I was 8th in the queue today and 32 minutes later I got served. The girls work so hard only 2 of them for the whole cafe, as regular visitors we shall go elsewhere now. COME ON MANAGEMENT WAKE UP !!!!!

Not a very good dobbies dirty tables crumbs on seats Toilets needed a intense deep clean has to be worst one yet I know it’s in between seasons but loads of empty shelves not many plants

This Dobbies restaurant has really gone downhill, through no fault of the staff, the food is good but the management needs employ more staff, as the queue is always long, tables aren't cleaned, its a shame as it could be such a nice restaurant and we need more in Bury. We didn't stay to eat that day, just feel sorry for the staff as they work hard and are always nice.

We came here for a quick bite to eat and the place was so dirty. The soft play area was full of plates and half-eaten food as was the cafe. The smoothies in the fridge were all out of date and had to be removed. The staff eventually moved the plates from some tables but didn’t clean them. I ordered a kids pizza and it was put on a different table for me to collect to the one I was sitting on. There were also no sauces so I was told to get up and get my own off another table. The pizza which came was ripped and it looked awful, the chips were soggy and disgusting too. It cost £16 for pizza, chips, a drink and two coffees which was overpriced for how bad the experience was. The coffee seemed fine, it was the cleanliness and cooking of the food which was the issue so not a very fun place to stopover on a journey.

I visited with my nan for breakfast on a Saturday (expecting it to be busy) we were served within 15 minutes which for the day and time I think is very quick. The staff were lovely and very accommodating when I needed to make changes for my nans coffee. We opted for the deal on the full English £14 for two breakfasts which is a great offer. The food came out quickly and me and my nan were shocked at the quality it must be one of the best breakfasts we have had in a long time, everything was piping hot the hash brown were crispy even the toast was perfect (and that doesn't happen often in my experience) It was lovely well worth it will definitely be visiting again. Little hidden gem.

Absolutely horrendous !!! 8th in queue when we arrived. Over 30 mins to get served. Granted, they were short staffed but even so, they were so slow and didn’t seem to have a clue what they were doing. One poor woman holding a baby spent 10 minutes at the till getting served. Not totally the girls serving at fault (although they could have been more efficient in how they worked) but maybe the garden centre manager should get their backside down there and help out. 3 people working out front and the one on the till didn’t know how to work it and kept making mistakes. The one doing the waitressing knew how to work the till, so why not swap them round ??? The woman on the till knocked the serving tongs for the scones onto the floor, picked them up and put them back on the top of a pile of scones, only to knock them off again and repeat the process. One of the yard workers who was seen later driving the fork truck was clearing the tables and entering the kitchen in shorts and dirty outdoor clothes. This place needs to be shut down, given a deep clean, employ enough capable staff who are given the correct training to be able to follow basic hygiene rules along with being able to cope with running an efficient supposed restaurant.

My wife and I stopped for a bit of lunch after various other activities in Bury area. The service is cafeteria style with orders made at the till and then the food is delivered to numbered tables. The time lapse from order to service was very fast, and the jacket potatoes we had for lunch were large and well baked with a generous portion of tuna, slaw, and a side salad. The venue is average among eateries and good for quick cafes.

Nice restaurant, dog friendly! Good choice of food and drinks. Service could be quicker but enjoy going here.

Amazed that the restaurant has gone downhill since the wonderful Joel has left. Lack of staff, disgusting coffee (one shot in a cappuccino.. like watery milk-no taste of coffee)… The company should visit Woodbridge branch and see how they work and serve appealing food and drinks. Sadly I won’t be visiting the Bury branch again… get the staff and encourage the customers back!!

It's a real shame about Dobbies Bury St Edmunds, it's the only large garden centre in our town now Marlows has gone and it really doesn't live up to what we expect from Dobbies. On entering it's very scruffy unlike the wyevale we used to have there which had a lovely clean outside entrance. The floors inside are very industrial and unappealing, and the look inside is dull. Then you get to the resturant and it's more like a childrens creche! The seats are all dirty and spoiled with food and it was very crowded partly because of there being no eating area for the children that go to the small play room attached to the cafe! It would be so much better if they could give the play area it's own eating area for parents and children like other garden centres and it would make it less crowded in the resturant area where shoppers want to relax .

Thought we would give them another chance as they have started serving a limited menu again and thought they might of got their act together, but unfortunately not! To start there was no table service so had to cued up to order, which isn't a problem but the Cook would let the servers take orders for lunch until 12 o'clock (time was 11.50) so the people who wanted lunch food had to keep rejoining the cue or let non lunch eaters go to the front of the cue. Until one of the servers had a moan at the cook to take orders which he reluctantly agreed when he saw the cue of people having to wait another 5 mins for 12 o'clock to strike. With food ordered I sat down and was handed yet another food covered glass for my cold drink (bit of extra protein I hear you say) an entire meal of some of them!! fish n chips arrives and (unbelievably) worse than before!! not only was the fish small, over cooked and hard (still) the cook managed to undercook the chips and send out dried and crusty mushy peas, (really didn't know you could gets scabs on peas!!) Anyway on a positive note my 80 year old mum loved it! Get it together dobbies how can you mess up fish n chips seriously??

Extremely tasty cakes and enormous cream scones that were absolutely delicious. Staff helpful and cafe very clean. Excellent value.

Been a while since last visit. Came here for lunch the nice fish and chips we have had before. Cannot comment on that as we found only snack type lunches now being serviced i.e. jacket potatoes etc. We decided to therefore have a fruit and cheese scone with a drink. Glad to say the scones were very nice and moist. We sat in one of the two seater settees ours and the one opposite us were stained and need a good deep clean. Shame as the used to be a good place to eat and buy a few plants etc. my have to find somewhere else to have eats and buy plants and gardening bits.

Can't say enough about how lovely the staff are/were and how the food was! Use to go for fish n chips quite alot but suddenly the fish changed has become small, dry, excessive batter and has occasional lumps of unmixed batter powder inside the batter, such a shame was a nice treat but we can get better fish from the local chippy now. And now it's just Cake and Jacket potatoes only quite gutted.

We all love a trip to a garden centre but this was definitely a disappointment. The shop had empty shelves, the floor space was bare, and customers were sparse. It felt like walking around the Marie Celeste. Whilst most garden centres aren't cheap, the prices here were particularly high, (even the sale items), and maybe that's why there weren't many customers. We went for lunch, but a shortage of staff meant that meals were off the menu; so I settled for a biscuit and coffee. Staff were friendly, but I wouldn't rush back.

Another wasted trip to Dobbies Bury St Edmunds restaurant for lunch, lots of different excuses as to why the kitchen is closed and has been for weeks. Now saying could be March before reopening the kitchen and that didn't sound very promising. Cold coffee didn't help either.

Lovely food and great service! Sian made the visit extra special! Came as a group of 6 was really speedy and organised!

So sad to leave such a low score but it wasn’t a pleasant experience today. Monday 8th August around 11:30-12:00ish. My Aunt & I had been enjoying a lovely coffee date when unfortunately a couple and their dog arrived in the restaurant. Their dog a little white dog immediately started barking. They seemed oblivious to the loudness of it or ask it to be quiet. They sat on the sofa to the side of the café and again every minute it started barking. Now I appreciate the odd bark from a dog but this was every few minutes and so loud. It made you jump and went right through you! The owners weren’t considerate enough to take it out and forfeit their time here but to others expense! Finally they did leave. It would have been good for a staff member to approach that couple and ask them to take their dog outside onto the patio or remove it. The staff are fantastic here and the service great. Such a shame it was spoilt by the couple and their dog. Other dogs in there were as good as gold.

Third time in this restaurant. Two previous visits for coffee, one of which was served cold instead of hot. Thought we would try again for lunch - but what a mistake. One egg mayonnaise sandwich and one Wiltshire ham and cheese toast with two pots of tea. Both meals came with crisps and garnished side salad. The egg mayonnaise had lettuce inside the sandwich and sliced hard boiled egg - not at all what a traditional egg mayonnaise should be. The salad was covered in dressing which was awful, the tea was weak and not very hot. My friend managed to eat the toast and crisps, but left the salad. To top it off, when paying we proferred outr Dobbies card, which the waitress did not take and when asked what do do with our card, she said it was too late now you should have asked me before, which we did! We left and will not return..

Called in for some cake and pot of tea. Cake was stale not very good will not be back. Lack of interest from staff.

Out buying plants we stopped for a cuppa. Waitress service was unexpected. Ordered tea and scones (cheese and bacon). Service was quick and friendly. Good cuppa and excellent scones, very tasty, very filling. Will definitely call in again even if we don’t want to buy...

Very pleasant experience. We had the fish and chips, cooked really well indeed. No complaints. I don't like peas and requested another veg, which they did, and gave me a side of butternut squash which was lovely. They have a senior citizens lunch and cake...

The cafe is very accessible for people with mobility issues. I went after peak lunch time on a Saturday, the first time since it has become a Dobbies. Nice that they do table service, I guess it is since C. I sued to come here...

Thanks for such a lovely Halloween party my 8 grandchildren and parents throughly enjoyed their meal crafts and games thanks especially to Joel his wonderful chef for a amazing afternoon tea and Sarah and staff for organising and all the entertainment and games

AWFUL - Were not told where we could sit or whether they would come and get our order so we waited. We ordered 2 Jacket Potatoes with Tuna Mayo and 2 pots of tea. The tray with the tea came out first with a disgusting...

Enjoyed a lovely, tasty and filling breakfast. Every item was delicious and perfectly cooked. Sarah who does most of the service is friendly and efficient and ensures social distancing at all times. Felt very comfortable visiting this spacious and clean restaurant

We wanted to buy a tree & some plants, so decided to have breakfast first. We were accompanied by our 6 yr old granddaughter. We ordered 1 full, 1 small, a child's breakfast, 2 coffees & a glass of milk. The coffee arrived pretty swiftly....

We were regular visitors to Dobbies Cafe in Bury St Edmund's and have always had good service and food with very friendly staff. I am very happy to say that we have now returned having been on lockdown. The cafe has had a refurbishment with...

Visited today for lunch after hearing good reviews. Was pleasantly surprised to see the restaurant nicely spaced out and was told that all tables had been cleaned. Quite a good selection on the menu and reasonably priced. It went down hill for me when my...

We recently made a visit to Dobbies for lunch. It was nice to see the restaurant full after the difficult times we have been through.However the china was badly stained,service slow and compared to the coffee shops in town the choice of cakes were very...

we were in the area and after walking around the garden cetre decided to have a breakfast what a mistake.When the food arrived our hearts sank ,the toast was so hard that it was unable to be cut resulting in having to hack into pieces...

We visited here with family for some lunch, and found it to be overpriced and poor quality....the chicken in the toasted sandwich was disgusting and my order came out wrong. I then went to use the baby changing facilities and they were filthy, an inch...

After our bad experience last time, today's visit was successful. Myself and my friend had the Cumberland sausage with carrots, peas, mash and gravy and it was delicious. The service was good although the lady serving us could have smiled. Joel behind the counter was...

Met friend for lunch. Quiche salad and potatoes awful.. potatoes tasted old, quiche put in microwave so pastry chewy, salad was ok but lettuce was brown round the edges..but the lady serving was very polite and friendly

Was very disappointed, arrived queue was 8-10 people which took 20 minutes to reach the till, as only one person serving, I ordered the fish and chips as advertised, but the food arrived with garden peas instead of mushy peas, no tartare sauce and a...